Knockdown crate.



PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

J. FOLLANSBEE.

KNOGKDOWN CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED APB.25,1906.

aw-mm UNITED sTA s PATENT oEEroE.

SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF FOLLANS'BEE,

WEST VIRGINIA.

WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF KNOCKDOWN CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

Application filed April 25, 1906. smn No. 313,649.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JonN FOLLANSBEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to shipping crates and has for its object the production of a light, durable knockdown packing and shipping receptacle which is designed and adapted primarily for inclosing and securely protecting the edges of roll tin and other sheet metals; or in like manner protecting rolls of paper, cardboard and similar articles of merchandise in the course of transportation or in storage.

Her etofore it has been customary to ship roll tin roofing, for example, in wooden crates with both square and round ends connected by several wooden strips, but such crates seldom reach their destination intact owing to the strains and wear occasioned by their weighty contents. Cylindrical sheet iron cases are also employed, but owing to their weight these add materially to the cost of transportation. Various other expedients have been resorted to, but in the matter of general efficiency, lightness, compactness and durability the subject-matter of the present application is believed to be clearly distinguishable from all devices of similar character as disclosed by the earlier art.

The invention will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this application, and whereon the reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the several views: Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention represented as containing a roll of roofing tin. Fig. 2 is also a perspective view of one cap or end closure dctached, and, Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section showing a fragmentary portion of a roll of metal, the end caps in position and one connecting metallic strap.

Reference being had to the drawings and numerals thereon, indicates a roll of tin roofing, 2 indicates top and bottom metallic caps or closures for the ends ol Such roll, the latter having inturned annular flanges 3, and surfaces slightly depressed as at 4. The periphery of these caps 2 is broken at intervals by circumferential slots 5 designed and adapted to receive the ends of suitable tie rods or metallic straps 6 which may be made of Wire, but are preferably formed of ordinary l hoop iron as shown. At a point or points intermediate l. of their ends the straps 6 are'embosscd or otherwise I provided with an eye or loop 7 for the reception of a tie I band 8 which may be employed to encircle the crate and complete the package for shipment, this band or wire 8, however, is not essential. This being a del scription of my invention in its preferred form its use, l as indicated by the foregoing description, is too ob- J vious to require much explanation. The caps 2, 2, I placed over the ends of a roll as indicated by Fig. 1, are themselves connected or bound together by mei tallic straps 6, hooked into the slots 5 of one cap, passed straight through the corresponding slots 5 of the other cap, each strap being then folded upon itself and out just above the Ilange 3 as shown. Thus, tin roofing, or other materials of varying widths, are provided for, and the crate is readily adjusted to meet such varying requirements, there being practically no limit as to l the spacing of caps 2, 2 by the present method of packi ing. it will be noted also that the characteristics of I the present crate are such that the caps 2, 2 are not merely secured together at opposite ends of a roll of tin or other material, but are adapted to be drawn together with great force and secured by a sharp bending of the straps 6.

After the end caps have been secured in position as aforesaid the structure may be further reinforced by passing a wire or tie band 8 through loops 7 of the straps (3 as shown by Fig. 1, and while desirable this last provision is not essential to the satisfactory use and operation of the invention. It will beparticularly noted that the surface of end caps 2 are depressed as at 4 thus providing raised spring edges or peripheral flanges which yield slightly when the caps are drawn together by straps 6, the better to seat said caps upon the contents of the crate and always maintain the straps 6 under tension to guard against accidental displacement. Moreover, when used for crating roll tin, the spring qualities aforesaid effectually prevent any relative twisting of caps 2 upon the ends of such rolls which would otherwise occur in crates of skeleton form. In like manner other minor changes and modifications may bemade and substituted for the parts herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, which, having been thus described, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A metallic cap or closure for shipping crates having a raised spring edge, and circumferential slots in said raised edge for the reception of suitable tie straps, substantially as described.

'2. In a shipping said slots for adjustably connecting the caps, loops in said 1() tie straps, and an encircling tie hand passing through the loops aforesaid, substantially as described In testimony whereof I afi'ix my signature, of two subscribing witnesses.

in presence JOHN FOLLANSBEFL- \Vitnesses WM. D. REID, E. S. PICKERING. 

